Binding systems and lines are well known in the printing industry for mass producing books such as booklets, magazines, catalogues, advertising brochures and the like. Typically, one or more sharply folded and generally pre-printed blanks or signatures are sequentially fed by a number of spaced signature feeders and gathered on a conveyor line or chain which travels past the signature feeders. The signatures are gathered into a book block and moved through one or more on-line printing stations to a stitching or binding station. The bound signatures are thereafter typically conveyed to a trimming station and a labeling station where mailing labels which are pre-printed or printed on-line are affixed. For reference to a typical binding system, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,116.
Binding systems generally employ computer controlled production. A computer controls how the individual editions of the books are tailored or customized. This flexibility is important in satisfying the demands of a particular market or geographical destination. For instance, it may be desirable to offer certain recipients of the books various features or selected advertising depending upon their locale, income or occupation. Likewise, it may be relevant to customize books contingent upon a recipient's previous buying history. In addition, flexibility of printing external signatures or covers is important to meet postal regulations and to qualify for postage discounts.
Signature feeders in particular have been developed which are able to customize individual signatures before the individual signature is fed to the binding line. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,116. This type of signature feeder, termed a printer feeder, includes a single signature hopper, for processing one type of signature through a printer then, feeding the individual signature of the one type to the binding line. In this arrangement, an individual signature of the type held in the hopper can be customized before it is fed to the binding line.